Ways To Switch Off From Work

In recent years we’ve cultivated a culture that prioritises work and the art of being busy coupled with undo pressure from our bosses let alone ourselves - it can be incredibly hard to break the cycle and truly unwind from all the hours we spend working. Building our own boundaries and routines into our daily schedule can create more breathing space for other loves plus give us the ability to value ourselves over others. Leaving work behind for the day can be an essential part of self care (even if you adore your job role) but can be so hard to truly accomplish as we can often stay preoccupied with the thought of work during our at home hours too. I’m a girl who loves a bit of structure, separation and easy to implement tips.

Here’s how I leave put work behind me for the day. Do you have any tips to share ???

Admit Your Work Day Has Limits

Despite our best intentions there will never (ever) be enough hours in the day to completely tick off everything on our to do list - there will always be 1 more thing. Sometimes we have to accept that we only have 1 pair of hands that can only do so much in a work day meaning that we have permission to down tools and skip off home for the day. This can be a really hard hurdle to overcome depending on our work ethic, job role and personality but I believe if we do the best with the circumstances on the day then we don’t need to feel guilty about going home to enjoy our personal time.

Have ‘In & Out Of Work’ Shoes

Our journeys to and from work can really influence the rest of the day, surprisingly such a little thing such as choice of footwear can make all the difference. I’m lucky that I get my own drawers so that I can stash a small array of smarter work shoes in, changing in and out of these shoes can really help signify the start and end of my working day plus make my outfits office appropriate. My out of work shoes are tatty, unattractive and possibly sending the wrong kind of fashion statement but incredibly comfortable, so it makes my to and from walks for work that much more enjoyable.

Change Your Outfit

A clear separation can be as easy changing your outfit as soon as you get in or before your start your true down time. Although jumping into pjs is 2nd nature to me, I’ve found that pjs help you associate more with sleep than productivity - which isn’t great if you know there’s more output to be gained from the day. Getting out of your work uniform adds further distance to you and your work. For me my at home uniform includes leggings, jumpers and big t-shirts - it’s not me at my most glamorous but there’s enough of a difference to keep me working.

Leave Your Phone Elsewhere

Thanks to the latest innovations, we can now find out how much times we’re attached to our phones and it’s not always pleasant reading - what with the latest news and notifications it’s painless to lose yourself in hours of endless scrolling, likes and retweets. If you’re like me and spend most of your work day in front of a computer coming home to more screens doesn’t always fill you with joy, especially if your side passion necessitates the use a computer like blogging. Eliminating one less screen can do the world of good for clearing out the cobwebs of the day, for me, my phone comes out later on for only music / ambient sounds (which I will leave for at least 30 mins) and alarms.

Other Tips To Separating From Your Work Day :

#01 || Have something to eat, I use the time before food to truly ‘de-work’ & have a bit of time being a true sloth. After dinner I categorise that time as my ‘creativity time’ be it tidying, reading, blogging etc.

#02 || Create a playlist, Depending on how you work sometimes, if like me you need some kind of noise so as not to find the silence unnerving, then music / ambient sounds or listening to podcasts can help you become more productive. Putting together a playlist for your evenings or even for your journey home can refresh those after work feelings - sometimes my journey home contains a lot of angry music in comparison to my easy listening evening playlist.

#03 || Make time for your passions, loves & interests (at least 30 mins / 1 hour), Whether you like to go to the gym, snuggle up with a book, update your bullet journal or create your next blog post making intentional time for your loves can be an instrumental factor in our happiness. Even if it’s half an hour it means you’ve put time aside to be selfish and indulge, it all helps with our creative breath of fresh air.